Tony Gilroy's film "Behemoth!" is a heartfelt tribute to film music and the passionate musicians who create it.
The film's unique structure and powerful sound are so central to the story that they form the core of the narrative, not just a background detail.Gilroy worked with nine composers, known as the "Behemoth!" Collective, to make the film where sound and image are so deeply connected that trying to watch it without one would feel like a loss.This isn't just a film you watch and hear, but something you fully experience.Even when the story may linger too long on sad or tense moments, the skill and ambition behind it are truly impressive.
The joy of watching "Behemoth!" lies in seeing how Gilroy moves from one scene to another.
The way the scenes are arranged and the quiet, careful way the camera moves make the film feel like it's taking us through different times.When we first meet Alex (Pedro Pascal), a well-known cellist who has moved from Chicago to Los Angeles to work on the score for a movie titled "Behemoth!", he barely has time to set up before being greeted by various musicians who are confused about his absence and how he's back.This flood of questions and voices is just the beginning of a much bigger challenge when Alex and the orchestra start working on the film's score.
At any moment, the film shifts back in time to show Alex's life in Boston and Chicago, where he begins to fall for his coworker, Nadia (Eva Victor).
The way the film moves between past and present, supported by the music, gives "Behemoth!" much of its thrilling structure.The storytelling isn't just non-linear—it's broken into fragments.As the audience, we never know what might trigger a memory, and the music offers no clues.This creates a fascinating twist on a traditional musical piece, showing how much life can be lived within a single note, and how memories can come together in ways we can't help but replay in our minds.What's especially striking is when the music shifts from being part of the film's world to being separate.You don't realize until later that the music from the film within the film and the music of the movie itself are the same.It's a clever way to show how fiction and real life are connected.
This is especially clear in a thrilling scene where Alex recalls a time when, after a rehearsal, his ex, Carol (Olivia Wilde), came looking for him.
As he tries to escape, the score he is currently working on for "Behemoth!" is played over his past self's escape.Suddenly, a simple walk through a hallway becomes intense and suspenseful.If the film had a different score in that moment, it would have changed the mood completely.By blending these elements, Gilroy and his team manage to bring excitement to the ordinary moments of life.
For a film of this size and sound ambition to work, it needs a performer like Pedro Pascal as its guiding light.
Pascal brings emotion and drama just by playing his cello or tapping his foot.We feel how much the music moves him, and the way the camera lingers on him shows the trust the director has in Pascal's ability to express a wide range of emotions.There are many moments where, as he listens to a piece of music from Nadia's daughter, Viviana, we simply watch him become deeply affected.
Pascal's choice to stay quiet and speak with very few words shows how powerful it is to express deep emotions through simplicity.
This helps sell the film's idea that music has the ability to change people in big ways.
As a character, Alex is more like a background figure, and while that's common, it can sometimes create tension when other characters appear.
These other characters don't always support Alex, but instead push past him.Take Wilde's Carol, who plays a lot like her other roles this year.She mixes the relationship worries of Angela from "The Invite" and the strong anger of Erika from "I Want Your Sex" into a show-stopping performance that is powerful because it's so short and intense.Victor isn't used much, but when she's with Pascal, she shows the same cleverness, self-awareness, and deep inner feelings that explain why anyone would be drawn to Nadia.Every character in "Behemoth!" tries to take the rough, emotional parts inside and make them into something they can live with.The beauty of the film comes from watching them try to put words to the big storms inside them.
One thing that makes "Behemoth!" really hit home is how music speaks a language of its own, and its beauty might just be in not needing words.One night, Alex goes to see Viviana, who is fifteen years old, performing a concert of her experimental, alternative EDM music.She plays a song called "Your God Is Sleeping," which was created by composer Lukas Frank.Alex gets really caught up in the song's strong beats, and he also sees how everyone else around him is completely moved by it, just like him.Through "Behemoth!," Gilroy shows that there are times in life when words just don't feel enough to express what we're feeling or going through.Sometimes the pain or regret we keep listening to is the only song we can hear.But even in the mess of life, there are little moments of grace, and maybe new music can come from all that chaos.
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